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5 undefeated teams remain as we head into week 4 of the NFL season. I went 9-7 a week ago, bringing my season total to 26-22.

Bye Week: Philadelphia and Green Bay

Thursday Night Football

Dolphins @ Bengals: Miami barely squeaked by the Browns last week, while the Bengals were beat down by the defending champs at home. The Dolphins got a big day from Jarvis Landry, but inconsistency continues to plague Ryan Tannehill, who threw a pick six in the win. Cincinnati got their running game going, but still lost to 1-2 for the first time in five years. After two very good weeks, Andy Dalton couldn’t do much against the Broncos defense. I like the Bengals at home with another good rushing game to get their second win of the season. CINCINNATI WINS

Sunday Morning Football

Colts @ Jaguars: London here they come! Indianapolis got their first win of the season last week, while Jacksonville is still looking for theirs. Andrew Luck has the uncanny ability to turn a bad day into a big day passing the ball, but the Jaguars defense isn’t the problem so far, so he’ll need help. Blake Bortles on the other hand, has been pretty awful for Jacksonville in his third year under center. So what happens this weekend across the pond? Give me a cleaner day from Luck to lift the Colts. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Bills @ Patriots: Three different quarterbacks have started for New England, but that hasn’t stopped the winning. And as for the Bills, they got their first win over a team many think, myself included, are a playoff team destined for a deep run. Both teams got big two-touchdown games out of their number 1 running backs, so look for another day of running the clock. The Patriots have to get through one more week without Tom Brady, and while they’ve done a great job doing so, and are very, very good at home, I’m taking the road team in this one. BUFFALO WINS

Titans @ Texans: It was a very bad week for Houston, who not only lost their Thursday game versus New England 27-0, they learned that JJ Watt re-injured his back and will be out the rest of the year. Tennessee’s week wasn’t much better, as they scored just 10 points in their loss to Oakland. Both teams enter action having scored the same amount of points through 3 games, but of course that’s skewed with the Texans O-fer last weekend. Marcus Mariota and Brock Osweiler have both thrown 4 interceptions so far this season, so whoever can limit mistakes has the edge. A Titans win puts them in a tie for the division early. But I don’t think they get it, because I like the Texans skill position players better. HOUSTON WINS

Lions @ Bears: The Lions are 1-2, but haven’t struggled in the passing game, as Matthew Stafford has found a new weapon in Marvin Jones after Calvin Johnson called it a career in the off-season. The silver lining there for the 0-3 Bears is that their defense has actually done okay against the pass so far this season. Chicago got a pretty good game out of Brandon Hoyer, who finished 30-49 for 317 yards, though most of that came with the game out of hand already. Both teams have the ability to get the points in the air, and with two middling defenses, that shouldn’t be a problem. So this game will be won in the trenches, and the edge there lies with the Lions. DETROIT WINS

Panthers @ Falcons: Carolina is another team I thought would have a great season, but has disappointed so far. Thanks to the struggles of the Panthers and the rest of the NFC South, Atlanta finds themself atop the division early on in the season. This dispite allowing 31, 28 and 32 points in their first three games. The Falcons may not be getting sustained success in their ground game early, they are getting it when it counts. Tevin Coleman has just 110 yards on the ground, but has 4 rushing touchdowns, including 3 on Sunday in New Orleans. Carolina entered action red-hot at home dating back to 2014, but we shut down by a red-hot Vikings defense a week ago. I still believe in the Panthers defense, and as hot as Atlanta has been, I think Carolina gets the win on the road.CAROLINA WINS

Seahawks @ Jets: The good news for Jets fans? Ryan Fitzpatrick can only be better than he was a week ago. The bad news? He has to be a lot better against the top defense in the league. After scoring just 3 points against L.A. in week 2, the Seahawks exercised some demons putting up 37 against the Niners. Russell Wilson was hobbled in the game, but still managed to leave with a nice lead. Big games from Christine Michael and Doug Baldwin helped get the offense back on track. New York can solace in the fact that they have had a pretty good run game all season, and while some of it came in garbage time, Seattle did allow the Niners to get over 130 yards on the ground, finding pay dirt twice. This shouldnt be as ugly for the Jets as it was last week, but it will still be a loss. SEATTLE WINS

Raiders @ Ravens: Baltimore finds itself among the undefeated teams heading into week 4, in large part thanks to their defense and a good day from kicker Justin Tucker. The Ravens are second in total defense through 3 weeks of play. Their opponents won their 2nd game by forcing three turnovers, with a sack after entering week 3 having allowed the Saints and Falcons to walk all over them. So based on defenses, Baltimore should have an easy win. But I actually like Oakland’s offense a lot more, and as someone who thinks this is a playoff team, I’ll take the Raiders in the upset. OAKLAND WINS

Browns @ Redskins: Cleveland should’ve gotten their first win of the season in Miami a week ago, but an inability to stop the air attack, and three missed field goals left them at 0-3. They gave themselves a shot, but couldn’t take it. Cody Kessler’s first career start wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t very good for Cleveland, though at this point, coming out healthy is huge for the Browns. Washington did get their first win, taking down the Giants on the road. After a couple lackluster offensive weeks, Kirk Cousins let it loose and got a number of big plays in the passing game to help get that first win and move back in the right direction to defend their NFC East title. So can the Browns get their first win this week? Yes. Will they? I don’t think so. They stayed in last week thanks to mistakes by Tannehill, but Cousins won’t make those same mistakes. WASHINGTON WINS

Sunday 4/425PM Games

Broncos @ Buccaneers: The Superbowl Champs are showing no signs of slowing down as they look to start the season 4-0. Denver got off to a slow start last week against the Bengals, but came on strong late thanks to a big day from rookie quarterback Trevor Siemian. Siemian threw four touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter for the win. Not to be outdone, the Broncos are a top flight defense that held down Andy Dalton and their rushing attack. They’ve got another tough test when they take on Jameis Winston this weekend. The Bucs 2nd year quarterback is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes so far with 8, though he has thrown six picks to. It won’t be a blowout, none of Denver’s games really have been, but it will be another win for the Broncos. DENVER WINS

Rams @ Cardinals: I’m shocked at the start the Cardinals are having at just 1-2. Carson Palmer has had a bad TD-turnover ratio through 3 weeks. Arizona isn’t getting quite out of David Johnson on the ground, while their defense is allowing the 5th most rushing yards per game. This is as good a week as any to get back to what they want to do in all phases as they take on their division rival Rams, who find themselves tied atop the division at 2-1. Los Angeles has rebounded nicely from a shutout on opening day, winning their last two games. The Rams tend to play up or down to their opponents, evident by a 9-3 home win over Seattle and a 37-32 shootout on the road in Tampa Bay. Going off those results, I’ll take the Cardinals at home in what should be a close game throughout between these two West foes. ARIZONA WINS

Cowboys @ Niners: Dallas couldn’t have asked for more from rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot through three weeks. The Tony Romo-less Cowboys were a game-winning field-goal away from being 3-0 right now. Dez Bryant has a hairline fracture in his knee but is still expected to play this weekend. San Francisco was manhandled in week 3, and still isn’t making a change back to Colin Kaepernick. The biggest thing the Niners have going for them is Carlos Hyde has looked pretty good. I like what the Caowboys have done this season, but I have a feeling about San Fran this week. It might be a bad feeling, but I’m rolling with it.SAN FRANCISCO WINS

Saints @ Chargers: It’s still early, but the Saints need to start picking up some wins quickly if they want to make the playoffs as I predicted they would as a wildcard team in the NFC. The offense hasn’t been the problem. Drew Brees is already over a 1,000 yards passing, with an 8-1 touchdown to interception ratio, though that one interception last week was a fourth quarter pick six for Brees. New Orleans defense hasn’t been been able to stop anyone, as they’ve allowed the 2nd most total yards. Worst at stopping the run, that’s where the Chargers will need to take advantage this week. But without Danny Woodhead, San Diego needs Melvin Gordon to get going, so this is the perfect opportunity for that. I like Philip Rivers, but I like Drew Brees more. Give me the road team to get win number 1 this week. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Chiefs @ Steelers: What a defensive performance put on by the Chiefs this past week! Two defensive touchdowns and six interceptions helped Kansas City get the easy win over the Jets. The offense wasn’t great, but they didn’t need to be with that showing on defense. Alex Smith continued to show his game management skills, and why Travis Kelce is one of the better tight ends in the league right now. They’ve got a desperate Steelers team thsi week, who didn’t score a touchdown in a week 3 beatdown by the Eagles. After two very good weeks, DeAngelo Williams was stymied on the ground, so the rushing attack will gladly welcome back Le’Veon Bell from suspension this week. The biggest test for the Kansas City defense will be stopping Antonio Brown, but I don’t think it will matter much even if he does have a big day. KANSAS CITY WINS

Monday Night Football

Giants @ Vikings: This should be a battle of two unbeatens, but a late game collapse left the Giants at 2-1 heading into today. Too many penalties, a couple late turnovers and allowing Washington to open up the field multiple times led to the home loss for New York. They lost Shane Vereen to a triceps injury as well. Eli Manning and company need to do more in the passing game, and they have the capability with three wide receivers. The bad news for New York is that the Vikings are running on all cylinders right now. Their defense has been relentless through three weeks, and despite losing starting QB Teddy Bridgewater before the season started, the offense has been very good. Sam Bradford has come in and fit in better in two weeks then he’s done in the first few seasons of his career. It’s going to be tough for the Giants on the road, but I like New York will figure things out and get back in the win column. NEW YORK WINS

We’ve reached week 3 of the season, and still have 8 undefeated and 8 winless teams. There have also been a lot of big injuries early that will have a big impact on week 3 and beyond. As for my picks, I’m 18-14 through 2 weeks. Here’s what I’m thinking going into week 3.

Thursday Night Football

Texans @ Patriots: Jimmy Garoppolo left with a shoulder injury for New England, who still managed to move to 2-0. This was thanks in large part to Garoppolo’s 3 touchdown passes before his injury as well as a big performance from LeGarrett Blount in the run game. The Texans took down the Chiefs on the strength of their defense to move to 1-1, a stark difference from their 33-0 loss to Kansas City in the playoffs. Without Garoppolo, I think the Texans will do enough to get another win to start off the week 3 action. HOUSTON WINS

Sunday 1pm Games

Ravens @ Jaguars: Baltimore got very lucky in week 2, as they overcame a 20-0 1st quarter deficit to improve to 2-0. Cleveland never scored again, while Joe Flacco brought his team back with a 25-45, 302 yard performance. Their opponents have been disappointing to me so far. While I didn’t think the Jaguars were going to make the playoffs this season, I thought they’d be better than they’ve shown, starting 0-2 again after They crossed midfield only six times and committed three turnovers. BALTIMORE WINS

Lions @ Packers: Both teams enter 1-1 after losing in week 2, and are looking to keep pace with the 2-0 Vikings. The Packers lost their game in the 4th quarter, turning the ball over twice, while allowing Rodgers to be sacked 5 times. Detroit also lost their game in the 4th quarter when they were outscored 13-0 by the Titans, including a 93-yard game winning drive. The Lions didn’t have a go to back in week 2, losing Ameer Abdullah to an injury. So who gets back in the win column this week? I’ll take the Packers at home with a much-needed big day from Eddie Lacy. GREEN BAY WINS

Redskins @ Giants: Washington won the NFC East a year ago, but have opened up this season 0-2. Struggles in the red zone and an inability to force turnovers meant a loss in a back-and-forth affair with Dallas last week. New York’s offense moved up and down the field pretty easily on Sunday, but also struggled in the redzone, and had too many turnovers in the 1st half. But the defense and special teams stepped up and they moved to 2-0. So who takes this division matchup? Give me the home team to get over their redzone struggles and take advantage of Eli Manning’s league leading completion percentage, which should be even better as the Giants receiving core dropped at least 5 balls in week 2. NEW YORK WINS

Browns @ Dolphins: For the 5th week in a row (dating back to last season), Cleveland will be starting a different QB. Someone should tell them this isn’t baseball, there’s no starting rotation in football. Even with the QB carousel, the Browns almost, and should have, pulled out their first win in week 2. They were up 20-2 on the Ravens, thanks in big part to their ground attack, but fell late. Miami isn’t in any better a position than their week 3 opponents, as they enter action at 0-2 as well. The Dolphins were down big early to the Pats, but made a comeback after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury. Cleveland will be in this game until the end because Miami has had issues stopping the run early. But even of Isaiah Crowell goes big on the ground, I still think they pull out the win at home. MIAMI WINS

Vikings @ Panthers: Minnesota will now be without their starting QB and running back for the rest of the season after Adrian Peterson went down in their game on Sunday night. The Vikings defense looked stong against Aaron Rogers in week 2. As for Carolina, they rebounded offensively in week 2, but they still struggled a bit on defense, allowing the Niners to score 27. They’ll be without their running back Jonathan Stewart, but were picked up by Fozzy Whittaker on the ground. Despite the 27 points allowed, I like the Panthers chances of stopping Sam Bradford and the new Vikings weapon and league receiving yards leader Stefon Diggs. CAROLINA WINS

Broncos @ Bengals: Andy Dalton has gotten off to a nice start this season, leading the league with 732 passing yards, so here’s a good test for the Broncos league leading defense. CJ Anderson is having a good start to the season, and we’ve seen the Bengals give up the most rushing yards per game to start the season, so he should be able to help eat a lot of clock for Denver. DENVER WINS

Cardinals @ Bills: Arizona rebounded from a tough week 1 loss by handily beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cardinals led the league in total offense, while the Bills dropped to 0-2 despite putting up 31 points of their own in week 2. Buffalo has let their offensive coordinator go, so they really need this game. Too bad I don’t think they’ll get it. Look for a big game from running back Daniel Johnson. ARIZONA WINS

Raiders @ Titans: Oakland has not been able to stop anyone through two weeks, something I wasn’t expecting, allowing 70 points so far. Tennessee has actually done a very nice job on defense. Both teams are 1-1 heading into this game, but I still like the Raiders better. The Titans offense hasn’t shown the big play ability the Raiders have, so Oakland should be able to hold them down better than they did with New Orleans and Atlanta. OAKLAND WINS

Sunday 4/425pm Games

Rams @ Buccaneers: LA’s defense showed up in week 2, Tampa’s did not. The difference between these two teams is the offense. While the Bucs went from scoring 4 TDs to 1, I feel more confident about their offense than the Rams, who have scored just 9 points in two games. The best chance the Rams have is if their defense can do what it did a week ago, and good game out of Todd Gurley. That being said, I’ll take the home team in this one. TAMPA BAY WINS

49ers @ Seahawks: This is a big (albeit early) NFC West battle between two 1-1 teams. San Francisco followed up a surprise week 1 win with a defensive breakdown against Carolina. Seattle had one of their worst offensive games in this recent stretch of Superbowl quality teams, scoring just a field goal against the L.A. Rams. I can’t see the Seahawks being held down again, especially by the Niners. Russell Wilson should be able to dominate in this one. SEATTLE WINS

Steelers @ Eagles: I never thought this would be a game where both teams have a chance to move to 3-0, but here we are. DeAngelo Williams has been huge for Pittsbrgh in the abscense of Le’Veon Bell, who is out one more week due to suspension. Philadelphia has gotten about as good as you can ever hope to from a rookie quarterback in Carson Wentz, who hasn’t turned the ball over yet. It should be a good game, but I will go with the experience in this one.PITTSBURGH WINS

Jets @ Chiefs: Two teams I picked to make the playoffs in the AFC face off in Kansas City this weekend. New York picked up their first win last week, thanks to the offense. Off-season acquisition Matt Forte finished with 100 yards rushing, and three rushing touchdowns. Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall both finished with 100 receiving yards as well. The Jets defense wasn’t as impressive as it was week 1. The Chiefs hope that’s the case again this week, as they couldn’t get much of anything started against Houston. A lot went right for New York last week, and I can’t see them doing quite that well against Kansas City’s defense as they did against Buffalo. If this were a home game for the Jets I might choose differently, but it’s a home game for the Chiefs, so I’ll go with them this week. KANSAS CITY WINS

Chargers @ Colts: San Diego is 2-0, Indianapolis is 0-2. I really thought that the Colts would be able to do better than they have on defense, but they haven’t. San Diego has looked very good on offense to start this season, Indy has been very up and down. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Bears @ Cowboys: Chicago is 0-2 despite holding early leads in both week 1 and week 2. And now they’ll be without starting quarterback Jay Cutler due to a thumb injury. Their best hope to beat the Cowboys is to continue limiting the passing game, as the Bears rank 4th in the NFL allowing 224 yards a game. As for Dallas, they picked up their first win thanks to another clean day from Dak Prescott and a big night on the ground. The Boys were already a better team than the Bears before the Cutler injury, so give me Dallas at home to move to 2-1. DALLAS WINS

Monday Night Football

Falcons @ Saints: Atlanta picked up their first win against an impressive Raiders team in week 2, while New Orleans dropped to 0-2 after a game winning field goal by the Giants. Atlanta hasn’t had any problems scoring this season, but their defense has struggled at times. New Orleans’ defense was much better in week 2, forcing 3 turnovers, but it wasn’t enough. I picked the Saints to make the playoffs, so this is a huge game for them. If they want to get their first win, they have to figure out how to run the ball. The Falcons tend to be very inconsistent, so give me New Orleans at home in a shootout. NEW ORLEANS WINS

I cannot believe we are here already. 9 weeks down. The playoff picture is starting to take shape.

So who has themselves in prime position, who has work to do and who is on the clock? Here is a breakdown by division of how all 32 teams look midway through the season.

AFC EAST (Remember when we all thought Tom Brady was done?)

New England Patriots (7-2): Since being blown out in week 4, the Pats have won 5 straight, 4 of those by double digits. They made easy work of the of 3 teams that could be in the playoffs, including a 22-point victory over the Broncos last week. Tom Brady is top 5 in passing yards in a season where Rob Gronkowski came in off injury and Julian Edelman was leading the team in receiving yards early. It took a couple weeks for them to figure things out, and now here they are, atop the AFC once again. It’s almost like in the NBA when everyone calls out the Spurs for being too old, and they go and win the championship. Maybe we should stop underestimating Brady and Belichick?

Buffalo Bills (5-3): They’ve lost their top running back, their 2nd back is banged up and yet here they are, fighting for a wild card spot. A big reason why is their defense. They’re 6th in points per game in the league and are a +7 in turnover differential. Add to that a steady progression from rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins to a big play threat, the ability to close out games and decent production from QBs EJ Manuel and Kyle Orton (yes that Kyle Orton). If this team wants to stay in the conversation, they have to continue their strong defensive presence and get Fred Jackson back.

Miami Dolphins (5-3): Ryan Tannehill has taken a step. It’s in the right direction, but I’m not ready to say it’s a step that puts him in the next tier of quarterbacks step yet. His decision making has gotten much better, as has his accuracy, all things you want to see as your franchise starter gets older. Losing Knowshon Moreno was big, but Lamar Miller has done a good job picking up the slack. They find ways to win, and just demolished the once high flying Chargers to the tune of 37-0. Like the Bills, their defense is where they make money, and of the two teams, I think they have a better shot at a wild card spot coming off an 8-8 record a year ago. They’re no worse than a season ago.

New York Jets (1-8): 8 straight losses with no hope on the horizon. Geno Smith is on the bench. Eric Decker hasn’t been the addition they hoped for. Their defense has been awful and the run game has been abandoned. Things are so bad for the Jets that fan put their money together to buy a “Fire Idzik” billboard (their GM). Could Rex Ryan be out at the end of the season? Time will tell, but they’re fighting hard for a very high draft pick, and not the playoffs like I thought they would be this season.

AFC NORTH (Who would’ve thought all these teams would be above .500?)

Cincinnati Bengals (5-2-1): They’ve been inconsistent since coming out of their week 4 by with a record of 3-0. Inconsistency is bad in any sport, but it’s very bad for Cincy this year, as they can’t afford a slip in the only top-to-bottom over .500 division in football. Andy Dalton has shown flashes of deserving the big 6-year $115 million contract he got in the off-season. But again, inconsistency is an issue. Hopefully AJ Green is over his injury issues, because everyone knows how lethal he is in the passing game, and putting a confident Mohammad Sanu, who stepped up for Green in his absence, next to him is huge.

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3): 12 TDs in two games. Historic numbers. That’s what Ben Roethlisberger and company have put up of late to get back into the division champion conversation. Pittsburgh is still very inconsistent. They started out 3-3, and despite their 3 game win streak, the Steelers defense is nowhere near the “steal curtain” of old. It’s more like a bead curtain. It’s easy to outscore your opponents, until it’s not. Can they keep it up? Yes. Will they? Who knows.

Cleveland Browns (5-3): So… we all saw this coming right? The Browns are 2 games over .500 despite not getting much from Ben Tate on the ground, an oft injured Jordan Cameron and a QB controversy heading into the season. They’ve been impressive, finding ways to win games late that they would’ve lost in years past. Brian Hoyer has gotten better at late game decision making and has his team looking at winning it’s most games in a while.

Baltimore Ravens (5-4): After looking like they’d turned a corner, Baltimore has lost two straight in the division, finding themselves momentarily in the basement. The positive for this team? They have games left in the division and it’s close, so it won’t take long to jump back into the top. But they can’t be so inconsistent on defense. The offense without Ray Rice hasn’t really skipped a beat, so if they can get some more stops, they will be in it til the end.

AFC SOUTH (Indianapolis is starting to pull away)

Indianapolis Colts (6-3): After an 0-2 start, the Colts have righted the ship in a huge way. Andrew Luck leads the league in passing yards, with a healthy 3,000 plus already! So you wouldn’t be surprised to know they have the best total offense because of it,which has helped cover up their middle of the pack total team defense. Those numbers are a bit skewed at 18 after allowing over 600 total yards to Pittsburgh in week 8, but it is what it is. They already beat Houston once, so in affect have a 3 game lead, and with how they’re playing, I think they’re easily on their way to another division crown.

Houston Texans(4-5): The good news? JJ Watt is a beast and they’ve already doubled their win total from a year ago. The bad news. they are in the same division as the Colts, and Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t the greatest replacement for Matt Schaub, which has led to him being benched in favor of Ryan Mallett. But they are still in the conversation without any real production out of number 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney, so there is room for improvement. Add better days from offensive weapons Arian Foster and Andre Johnson, and I see them hovering around .500 the rest of the way.

Tennessee Titans (2-6): They’re in the bottom third of the league on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football. So frankly, I don’t know how they have two wins (one of which came against Jacksonville). Two of their losses were by a combined 3 points, which shows a lack of late game execution, which reeks of bad coaching and bad personnel. Delanie Walker might be the lone guy that’s having a representative season for Tennessee. And after a 7-9 season a year ago, there was a place for improvement, and they haven’t and look like they won’t even get back to a similar record this year.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8): They’re not good, but I have to give the Jags some credit. They aren’t rolling over on a weekly basis. They took down the Browns for their first win in wee 7. Things weren’t made easy for the Bengals and Dolphins following that win. Denard Robinson has proven to be a very good starting running back and Blake Bortles has shown some glimpses as the 4th pick in the 2014 draft. So while the record will again put them in the running for a top pick, there are at least signs of talent at skill positions in Jacksonville.

AFC WEST (Denver might start to run away with this one)

Denver Broncos (6-2): Peyton Manning is still really good, but even he couldn’t lead his team past the red hot Patriots. But at 6-2, they’re still in prime position to make a deep playoff run despite a very difficult schedule. The difference between last year’s Broncos and this year’s… the defense. A bad showing against New England not withstanding, off-season acquisitions are doing big things for this team on both sides of the football. This offense is so good, Wes Welker is now the 4th option. Think about that. I’m not worried about this team, and even though they haven’t run away with the division, the Chargers have dropped and they can do no worse than tying the season series with both them and the Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs (5-3): The defense hasn’t allowed more than 26 points in a game, and that came week 1. Jamal Charles continues to have the ability to break out on any day. Alex Smith isn’t lighting up the stat sheet, but he’s done enough to keep them in the conversation in the division. This team was never going to repeat the 9-0 start from a year ago, but they’ve responded from a slow start, and can still make a play at a wild card spot, if not the division.

San Diego Chargers (5-4): This team was 5-1 and looked like a top 2, top 3 team in the league. Now they’re on a 3-game slid that’s seen them score 3 TDs in the past 8 quarters of football. The defense can’t live up to that, but it’s hard to outscore 35-plus point efforts as well. So if this team wants to get back in the conversation, both sides of the football need to improve and fast.

Oakland Raiders (0-8): They may never win again. This team has yet to show me any reason to ever pick them. Charles Woodson called it early, and it never sparked a fire. They’re the worst team in the league, but could always fall into a win, and could lose that title to a Jets or Jaguars team. But I doubt that happens.

NFC EAST (Is this division really as “strong” as the records suggest?)

Philadelphia Eagles (6-2): They’re well on their way to a possible 2nd straight division crown. But a couple of big injuries in week 9 could derail their Superbowl aspirations. Nick Foles is set to be out 6-8 weeks with a broken collarbone, while DeMeco Ryans is out for the season with a torn Achilles. The latter could prove more costly, as Philly at least has a backup QB in Mark Sanchez who has proven he can help lead a team deep into the playoffs. But if they want to survive the injuries, the run game has to pick up the slack. So this team will only go as far as LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles can run, in conjunction with Sanchez limiting the mistakes.

Dallas Cowboys (6-3): Just when you thought this might be their season, Tony Romo goes down. DeMarco Murray is on a record pace on the round, but with his injury history, how much more can you ask from him? Brandon Weedon wasn’t horrible with Cleveland, but you’re not going far with him either. You’ve got to hope you can get Romo back after the bye week in week 12, while hoping teams like the Packers, Panthers, Seahawks or 49ers don’t get hot and steal a wildcard spot.

New York Giants (3-5): The G-men were feeling good about themselves after a 3-game win streak that saw them score 30-plus to get them above the .500 mark at 3-2. But it’s been downhill from there. Eli Manning hasn’t thrown an interception since week 4, and has just 5 all season. But the injuries are piling up and Manning has no real deep threat. They’ve put themselves behind the 8-ball, but with games left with both the Eagles and Cowboys at home, to go with some softer games in the 2nd half, it’ll be tough, but they don’t have any wiggle room if they want to make a real run for the playoffs.

Washington Redskins(3-6): RGIII came back, for better or worse and it didn’t make them better. The former Rookie of the Year looked slow and out of it in his return, and I didn’t understand bringing him back when they did. Colt McCoy (yes he still exists) looked pretty good and got them a win against Dallas. I would’ve run him out there again. They’re the worst team in the division, even with how banged up the Giants are.

NFC NORTH (This was always going to be a fight between Detroit and Green Bay)

Detroit Lions (6-2): They boast the best team defense in football. You’ve been looking for this team to put all their talent together for a while now, and this seems to be the year, led by the D. But that being said, their offense has been off lately. Calvin Johnson has missed time, the run game isn’t what you want and they’ve played games using their 4th string tight-end. But when your defense is top 5 in rushing and passing defense, it tends to hide offensive question marks. If they can get Megatron healthy, this team is going to be very dangerous in the playoffs.

Green Bay Packers (5-3): They might be in 2nd place, but they’re the best team in this division. Green Bay got off to a slow start, but while defense has carried the current leader, the Pack is a much more balanced team. Aaron Rodgers is an MVP candidate again. And if Eddie Lacy could ever be the consistent threat they need on the ground, I don’t know how you beat this team.

Chicago Bears (3-5): You boast probably the best wide-receiver combination in football to go with a top 5 running back, and yet they find themselves under .500. The defense, aside from allowing a 51 spot to New England in their last game has been pretty good. The issue is on offense, where there is questions of a lack of trust between Jay Cutler and his targets of Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall. And when there is questioning of each other in the media, it’s hard to recover from.

Minnesota Vikings (3-5): considering they lost their starting QB and their All-pro running back early on, Mike Zimmer has his team competing. Even with Matt Cassell and Adrian Peterson, I don’t think this team would be much better than 3-5, but they’ve learned that Teddy Bridgewater is a capable starter. In a tough division like the North, at least they’ve shown they can play with teams outside. Now they just have to figure out how to make games in the division close. And with how bad Chicago looks, finishing 3rd is in the realm of possibility, especially with two left against the Bears.

NFC SOUTH (The most disappointing division in football?)

New Orleans Saints (4-4): It’s been a long trek back to .500 for the Saints after an 1-3 start. Drew Brees’ low is 17 points scored… that on the road against the Cowboys. So the offense has been pretty good. But this team is only going to go as far as the defense. They are very lucky to be in a division having a down year top-to-bottom. Having a game up on Carolina already for me gives them a clear path to the division crown.

Carolina Panthers (3-5-1): So I think their defense forgot how to play… well defense. Carolina finds itself top 3 in points allowed and the bottom 3rd of the league in total yards allowed. Add to that, a banged up Cam Newton, and an offense that finds themselves in similar spots in offense as defense. All ingredients for a below .500 record. And nothing I’ve seen of late has me thinking they can rebound in the second half of the season here.

Atlanta Falcons (2-6): Remember when this was a good team? Yeah, neither do I. A 2-0 start, the Falcons look like the 2013-14 Texans that finished the season on a 14-game skid. You know, minus the loss of a quarterback. Matt Ryan has been healthy, and has had enough weapons to get some wins here. The issue is on defense. Their secondary is basically swiss cheese, and the front 7 isn’t any better. I do think they’ll find a way to win again this season, but it might not be more than once or twice.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7): Ugliness. I thought they’d be a playoff team. Nope. A rotating door at quarterback has shifted back to Josh McCown. Doug Martin looks like he’s never ran a football. The defense is atrocious. Vincent Jackson seems to forget that he’s a load and can out muscle any secondary player. It’s just bad for the Bucs.

NFC WEST (Arizona far atop the hill, just like we all thought… right?)

Arizona Cardinals(7-1): I give you the best team in the NFC, and it’s not really even close. They swept the NFC East that currently holds 2 of the 4 best records in the conference. They survived a couple weeks without their starting quarterback. Not to mention they’re getting healthy and are consistent on both sides of the ball. Arizona’s only real issue is that they still have two match-ups with the defending champs, but with how they’ve played, there’s no reason they shouldn’t at least split with them and maintain their led in the division.

Seattle Seahawks (5-3): For a team that entered the year as defending champs, they look nothing like a team capable of a repeat. Russell Wilson is leading one of the worst passing offenses in football. Marshawn Lynch is a shell of himself. Percy Harvin, a dynamic offensive weapon, was so distracting they traded him for nothing to the Jets. And the Legion of Boom has been disappointing to say the least.

San Francisco 49ers (4-5): This team is a mess. Between off-the-field issues and a lack of a run game to help take pressure of Colin Kaepernick who has his team in the bottom half in passing offense, they find themselves on the outside looking in. Rumors that Jim Harbaugh is leaving don’t help. Their only bright spot is their team defense, ranked 2nd in total yards allowed. What they need is to take advantage of 3 games left with the teams ahead of them, and for Kaepernick to figure some things out offensively, particularly in the red zone.

St. Louis Rams (3-5): I have to give them credit, they don’t quit. They’ve shown glimpses with getting big leads early over the Cowboys and Seahawks, but then they regress to a 3-5 team by losing both of those leads. Now they look to play spoiler (as they did against San Fran this week). Losing your starter just before the season starts is tough. If they could’ve executed better down the stretch of games, they could be in the conversation for 2nd in this division with a down year from the champs and niners.

So if things continue on the track they are, here are my 12 playoff teams as of now:

Week 4 and that means we get the first round of teams on their bye. So we won’t see Cleveland, Cincinnati, Denver, Seattle, St. Louis or the Cardinals, or 4 teams that have gotten off to great starts and two that haven’t. I hate that byes start so early. I can’t imagine how these teams feel, knowing they won’t get a break for the rest of the season.

I went 10-6 last week, moving me to 27-21 to start the season. I’ll take it, especially after going 7-9 in week 2.

Thursday Night Football

Giants @ Redskins: It’s an NFC East showdown to kick off week 4 of the NFL season. Both teams enter action at 1-2, but are coming off very different games. New York played the perfect game against a good defensive team in Houston to pick up their first win, while the Redskins lost in a shootout to the vision leading Philadelphia Eagles. Sure Washington’s offense looked great, but their defense looked anything but. The Giants could be 2-1 despite needing some time to adapt to their new offense. So with that, I’m taking the road team to even up their record. NEW YORKWINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Packers @ Bears: I’ve been disappointed with the Packers thus far, while Chicago has been impressive, especially on the offensive side of the ball. But as someone who picked Green Bay to go far this season, I think they can turn it around, and though playing at Soldier Field is no picnic, I think they find a way and Aaron Rodgers gets back to looking like an MVP. GREEN BAY WINS

Bills @ Texans: Buffalo has been better than expected, while Houston looks to rebound off their first loss of the season. This is going to be a defensive struggle. Ryan Fitzpatrick looked off a week ago in New York, while EJ Manuel continues to grow. So who makes the plays in the end? Give me the home team. HOUSTONWINS

Titans @ Colts: Tennessee has been down right awful. Indy took their early frustrations out on the Jaguars to avoid an 0-3 start. To me, this one is simple. Indianapolis is a better team, and they’re at home. I like the Colts to even up their record at 2-2. INDIANAPOLISWINS

Panthers @ Ravens:The winner of this one moves to 3-1. With the fire-power in the NFC South, Carolina needs this one more than Baltimore. The Ravens haven’t had too many issues succeeding without running back Ray Rice. I know Baltimore is the home team in this one, but I like Carolina in this one. CAROLINA WINS

Buccaneers @ Steelers: Remember when everyone though Tampa was going to challenge for a playoff spot this year? Yeah about that… Steelers get the victory at home. PITTSBURGH WINS

Dolphins @ Raiders: Charles Woodson said they were bad, and he wasn’t wrong. Oakland has scored the fewest points in the league through the first 3 weeks. I’d say that doesn’t bode well for them, but the Dolphins have allowed the fourth most points in the league. Despite any possible QB controversy in Miami, they’re still a better team than Oakland.MIAMI WINS

Lions @ Jets: Detroit is clicking on both sides of the football. New York continues to be inconsistent. I give the Jets a shot if Geno Smith can limit the mistakes, but against a hungry Lions defense, and possibly being without Eric Decker once more, I can’t see New York getting the win. I didn’t think the Jets would start 1-3, but that’s what I see happening. DETROIT WINS

Sunday 4:05/4:25PM Games

Jaguars @ Chargers: The Blake Bortles era in Jacksonville has begun. So that’s where Jacksonville is. As for the Chargers, they look every bit as good as the second half team that forced its way into the playoffs a year ago.SAN DIEGO WINS

Eagles @ 49ers: Philly is one of 3-0 teams standing, while the 49ers are a disappointing 1-2. But the Eagles defense was shown up by Washington a week ago, and they will be without their starting center, which won’t help LeSean McCoy get back on track. Many people felt going into the season that San Fran was poised to make another deep playoff run, and for that to happen, it has to start now. And I think it does. SAN FRANCISCO WINS

Falcons @ Vikings: Teddy Bridgewater gets his first career start. Atlanta looks to get back to the team they were in week 1 when they beat the Saints. Matt Ryan has been quite good all season, and I think that gives them the edge. ATLANTA WINS

Sunday Night Football

Saints @ Cowboys: If you asked me before the season which of these two teams would enter action at 1-2 and which at 2-1, I’d say the road team would be looking for an impressive 3-1 start. But I’d have been wrong. Dallas’ defense hasn’t looked as horrible as we all predicted, and both sides of New Orleans game hasn’t been what anyone thought through 3 weeks. That being said, I just cannot see Drew Brees and company starting out 1-3. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Monday Night Football

Patriots @ Chiefs: Tom Brady has said the offense needs to step up. Sure, it hasn’t looked like the high octane offense of the last few seasons, but even so, this team is still 2-1. Kansas City on the other hand looks nothing like the team that started out 9-0 last season. The fact that their defense isn’t what it was, coupled with New England being “due,” I’m going with the road team in this one. NEW ENGLAND WINS

There you have it scoreboard watchers. Here’s to seeing who stays unbeaten, healthy and starts the road to recovery. Enjoy the games!

11 down. 6 to go. And playoff races are starting to heat up. The final undefeated has fallen, while leads atop divisions have shrunken, grown and switched hands. Everything you could hope as the days inch closer to the holidays.

2 more teams were off this week: the Cowboys and the Rams.

NFC EAST (The Birds Are All Alone Atop the Division… For Now)

Eagles: A 3rd straight victory snapped a franchise record 10-game home losing streak. Up 17-0 at the halftime break, the defense was able to hold off a 4th quarter comeback. The offense looked great in the 1st half, but only scored once in the 2nd half. Nick Foles used his legs, not his arm, to find the end-zone this week. Philly’s new top gun ran in for a score, while LeSean McCoy did the rest, finding pay-dirt twice on the afternoon. Foles threw no TDs, while continuing his streak of no interceptions in tack as apart of a 298-yard passing day. They became the 8th team in NFL history with at least 2,800 passing yards and 1,600 rushing yards through it’s first 11 games. With Dallas off, Philly takes over sole possession of 1st in the East, but they have already lost once to the Cowboys with another match-up ahead. (6-5)

Cowboys: Bye Week. (5-5)

Giants: 4 straight wins for the Giants, and this was the best all-around game in the stretch. Eli Manning looked as good as he has since week 1 (the part after those 3 interceptions to start the year). The struggling 2-time Superbowl MVP threw a 26-yard touchdown to Ruben Randle in a game where he completed 25 of 35 passes for 279 yards. Running backs Andre Brown and Brandon Jacobs did their thing on the ground, combining for 75 yards and a score. The defense allowed just the 2nd touchdown in their last 18 quarters, and they continued to shut down opposing backs. Up just 7 in the 4th, Jason Pierre-Paul sealed the win with a 24-yard interception return for a touchdown.(4-6)

Redskins: The offense couldn’t do anything right until the 4th quarter. Down 24-0, Robert Griffin III threw TD passes of 62 and 41 yards to Darrel Young and Aldrick Robinson, while converting on both 2-point conversions to get within 8. With one final drive, Griffin drove Washington all the way to the Eagles 18 before a Brandon Boykin interception sealed the loss. Griffin and Alfred Morris combined for 137 yards on the ground, but two RGIII turnovers proved too costly in the end. They’re now alone in last place, with two against the Giants left to be played.(3-7)

NFC NORTH (It’s Crowded at the Top)

Lions: A golden opportunity to at least hold onto their 1 game lead, they got off to a slow start in Pittsburgh and never recovered. They now have company atop the division, though should they end in a tie with Chicago, they hold the tiebreaker. Matt Stafford did become the franchise’s leading passer thanks to his 362-yards passing. And Calvin Johnson put up monster numbers again, with 179 and a score. But much of their damage came in a 27 point 2nd quarter. Detroit was shutout in the 2nd half, while the defense surrendered 4 Steelers touchdowns and 3 field-goals. (6-4)

Bears:A long weather delay gave Chicago new life, leading to an overtime win on the strength of a 38-yard Robbie Gould field-goal. Down 10-0 with 4:51 in the 1st, play was stopped because of tornado warnings. Nearly 2 hours later, play resumed, and the Bears woke up. Josh McCown connected with Matt Forte on his lone TD pass of the day. Forte added 83-yards on the ground to that receiving touchdown. Defensive end David Bass added a score on defense with a 24-yard interception return of Joe Flacco in the 2nd quarter. (6-4)

Packers: Scott Tolzien had a chance to tie in the 4th quarter, but a pick 6 sealed a 3rd straight loss since losing Aaron Rodgers and then Seneca Wallace. Despite nearly 350 yards passing, the team couldn’t recover from Tolzien’s 3 interceptions, including the game sealing pick 6. Rookie running back Eddie Lacy was all but shutdown, managing just 27 rushing yards and a score that turned into nothing more than window dressing. All hope is not lost, with Rodgers back to practice and match-ups against all three division foes left on the schedule.(5-5)

Vikings: Neither Christian Ponder, or Matt Cassel could solve the Seahawks defense, combining for 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and a lost fumble on Sunday. Toby Gerhart and not Adrian Peterson led the team in rushing yards, but the 132 combined yards on the ground didn’t help stave off defeat. Just about the only things they did well were to keep it close at half, and limit Lynch everywhere but the redzone. (2-8)

NFC SOUTH (The Saints Keep Marching On)

Saints: It was a defensive struggle in the 2nd half, but 9 points in the 4th gave New Orleans the come-from-behind home victory over San Francisco. Tied late, Marques Colston finished off a record day with a 20-yard catch to set up Garrett Hartley’s 31-yard game winning field goal as time expired. The wide-receiver out of Hofstra finished the day with five catches for 80 yards to become the Saints all-time leader in yards receiving with 7,922. It wasn’t the Saints best day offensively, but it was enough thanks to the play of the defense. 3 sacks and a pick of Colin Kaepernick gave Drew Brees and company enough time to get 3 scoring drives in the 4th. (8-2)

Panthers: Maybe now is the time to start talking about this team as a threat. A 4-point win on Monday night gives them 6 straight, and back-to-back statement wins. Cam Newton threw for 3 touchdowns for the 3rd time this season, something he did only twice his first 2 seasons in the league. He spread the wealth, hitting 3 different receivers for scores, while 3 finished with at least 50-yards receiving. Ted Ginn Jr was the recipient of the game winner with just over a minute to play in regulation. Newton was also the only real threat in the run game, leading the way with 62 on the ground to go with 209 in the air. The defense forced two turnovers, including a Brady INT in the end-zone as time expired. According to the Panthers PR department, they’re the first team since the 1935 Giants to allow 1 or fewer first half touchdowns over their first 10 games of the season.(7-3)

Buccaneers: Don’t look now but the previously win-less Bucs are on a win streak. Waiver wire pick-up Bobby Rainey had himself a day in the place of the injured Doug Martin and Mike James. 162-yards rushing and 2 scores for the 2nd year back out of Western Kentucky. Not to mention a 3rd touchdown catch for Rainey thrown by Mike Glennon, who finished with 231 and two scores on the day. Vincent Jackson had a monster day, grabbing 10 passes for 165 and a touchdown. (2-8)

Falcons: I never thought this team would be at the bottom of the division with all the talent they have, but here they are. They’ve now dropped 4 straight, and according to NFL.com, they’ve been outscored 135-61 in that stretch. Matt Ryan threw 2 touchdowns, but also another 2 interceptions. Harry Douglas had another good game despite being questionable leading up to kick-off, catching 6 passes for 134-yards and a score. The run game was finally decent, but if you can’t stop the run or get stops in the red-zone, you’re not going to win many games. (2-8)

NFC WEST (The Hawks Are Flying Away With It)

Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch didn’t have the monster yardage total he’s accustomed to, but he made his yards count, taking it in for 2 scores, one on the ground and one in the air, in a big win over the Vikings. Russell Wilson didn’t throw it much, but he did complete 13 of 18 for 230 and two touchdowns. It was still a game at the half, but the defense did it’s job in the 2nd half, including a pick 6 to help pull away for good. The win makes them just 1 of 3 teams with just 1 loss, and keeps their 1-game lead for the NFC’s number 1 seed in tact after the Saints win. Not to mention all but locks up the West after the aforementioned New Orleans win over San Francisco. (10-1)

49ers: Make it two straight losses after a 5-game stretched where San Fran looked nearly unbeatable. This team doesn’t blow many leads, but they did just that against the Saints.Colin Kaepernick was sacked 3 times, threw 2 touchdowns and an interception. He nor running back Frank Gore could get much going on the ground. Aaron Brooks had really the only good game on defense, picking off Brees, getting the teams lone sack and forcing a fumble. Now they’re tied for 2nd with Arizona.(6-4)

Cardinals: Nobody is talking about this team, but they are in a fight for a wildcard thanks in large part to their defense. They got off to a slow start in the 1st quarter, but then both sides of the ball dominated the Jaguars for the rest of the way. Carson Palmer threw for 419 yards and two scores and no picks for the first time all year. Receiver Michael Floyd finished with a career-high 193 yards receiving, including a 91-yard touchdown.(6-4)

Rams: Bye Week. (4-6)

AFC EAST (The Pats Maintain a Decent Lead)

Patriots: They were down 10 early, but rallied back to take the lead in the 4th, but it wasn’t enough. Tom Brady threw for just 1 touchdown, and didn’t get the help he needed from his run game. He had a shot with 4-seconds left from his own 18, but his final throw was picked off in the end-zone. Controversy struck when a flag for what New England thought would be defensive holding was picked up. Brady was visibly upset with the refs as the teams took the field to shake hands. Whether or not the call should’ve been made, the Patriots were once again shutdown by a top flight defense. Lucky for them the Jets didn’t close the gap.(7-3)

Jets: They’re consistently inconsistent. According to NFL.com, they’re the first team to alternate wins and losses the first 10 games of the season. Geno Smith looked like a rookie on the road today, with 2 turnovers in the 1st half alone. Things got worse when he was benched in favor of Matt Simms. Down 20-0 at the half, they could never make a threat on the Bills. Chris Ivory had really the only good day, falling just short of a 100 yards on the ground to go with a score. (5-5)

Dolphins: This needed a win for many reasons, and they battled til the end to get one. Their first since the bully scandal broke, Ryan Tannehill led his team to victory. The 2nd year quarterback threw for 268 yards, including a 39-yard score to tight-end Charles Clay to break a 10-10 tie in the third. Miami also managed 104 yards rushing behind a makeshift offensive line. (5-5)

Bills: EJ Manuel led his team to their 1st win in 3 weeks. Manuel was on point, completing 20 of 28 passes for 245 and 2 scores. The run game didn’t come into play much, but the way the defense stepped up, they didn’t need help on the ground. Jarius Byrd forced two of the Jets 4 turnovers, while Da’Norris Searcy returned his interception for a score. The two teams split the season series, each winning at home. (4-7)

AFC NORTH (The Bengals Pounce, Give Themselves A Big Cushion)

Bengals: Nothing like 31 unanswered 2nd quarter points (the largest output in a quarter in team history) to put a bad start behind you. After losing two straight games in overtime, a rout was what this team needed to get back on track. Andy Dalton shook off a bad start that saw two of his passes picked off in the 1st quarter, one returned for a score, to put them down 13-0 quick. But he came back to throw 3 scores, but on just 93 yards passing. It was a good all around game, with both the defense and special teams finding the end-zone, with a fumble recovery and a blocked punt for a score. (7-4)

Steelers: Don’t look now but they’re technically not in last place anymore after a very slow start to the season. Big Ben and company had their most impressive day on offense. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 367 yards, 4 touchdowns and no turnovers. Add 3 more field-goals for Shaun Suisham and it’s pretty easy to see why this team held off the Lions. (4-6)

Browns: They jumped out to a quick 13-0 score. But then they fell apart on both offense and defense, and you can’t do that against a hungry team like Cincinnati. Jason Campbell threw 3 interceptions, Chris Ogbonnaya lost a fumble and their special teams allowed a score. And despite creating a couple of turnovers of their own, they couldn’t get any real pressure on Dalton. (4-6)

Ravens: Justin Tucker’s 21-yard field goal forced over-time, but it wasn’t enough to save them from the loss. Baltimore jumped out to a quick 10-point lead thanks to a 1-yard Ray Rice touchdown run, and a Tucker 52-yard field goal in the 1st half. But then the weather delay happened. Rice finished with his best total of the season, 131 yards and that score. Joe Flacco ended with 162-yards passing, a touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was returned for 6. It was a golden opportunity to move into a better spot for a possible wild card spot, instead they fall 3 games back of the division lead.(4-6)

AFC South (Indy All But Has This Things Wrapped Up)

Colts: A slow start wasn’t enough to hand Indy their second straight loss, which would’ve been a first in the Chuck Pagano era. Andrew Luck and company woke up in the 3rd quarter to rally from a 17-6 half-time deficit and get their 7th win. The Colts got some much-needed help from Donald Brown, who ran in for two scores for the first time in his career. Luck added an 11-yard scamper of his own. Tight-end Coby Fleener had a career high 8 catches for 107 yards. (7-3)

Titans: Things looked good early, when Chris Johnson’s 30-yard and 7-yard touchdown runs in the 1st quarter put the Colts’ backs against the wall early. But if you can’t turn over the Colts, or stop the run in the red zone, you’re in trouble. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a good day in place of the injured Jake Locker, completing 22 of 28 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. But it wasn’t enough in the end. They started off the season well, but have taken a turn for the worse as they’re losers of 2 straight and 5 of their last 6.(4-6)

Texans: Make it 8 straight losses. Two early turnovers including Case Keenum’s first career interception gave the Raiders two quick drives from their own 16. Oakland scored on both turnovers and put Houston down 14-0 in the 1st. But 17 unanswered points capped by a career-long 51-yard field goal by Randy Bullock had them up at the half. Down 21-17 in the 3rd, Houston decided to remove a healthy Keenum for Matt Schaub, who hadn’t seen action since he went down in week 6. (2-8)

Jaguars: They jumped out quick, but it wasn’t enough as they were shutoutthrough the final 3 quarters. They scored a touchdown (2 in fact) for the first time at home all season. Maurice Jones-Drew only finished with 23 yards rushing on 14 carries, but he did have one of the two Jacksonville scores.Chad Henne threw two picks, one touchdown. The defense sacked Carson Palmer 3 times, but was unable to turn the Cardinals over. (1-9)

AFC WEST (December is Going to Be Fun in the West)

Broncos: In the biggest game of the week, Denver put up the most points on KC of any opponent. Peyton Manning wasn’t sharp, but the run game was huge in the red zone, while the defense did their best Chiefs impression, with a number of impressive stops and takeaways. Manning extended his record for 300 yard passing games to 81, but threw just one touchdown and lost a fumble in the process. Rookie running back Montee Ball had his best game of the season, capitalizing in the red zone by finding the endzone twice. A huge reason for the good run game was the offensive line, which prevented a sack-happy defense from touching Manning all night. They hold the end in the division, for now. Their 2nd match-up comes in 2 weeks in KC. (9-1)

Chiefs: Alex Smith threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns as his team suffered their first loss of the season. They were in the game the whole night, but couldn’t find a way to get over the hump. Dwayne Bowe had a 57-yards receiving and a` touchdown in a game he could have been out for days after being arrested for speeding and marijuana possession. The defense held down the potent Broncos defense for the most part, but it was still almost 15 points more than their opponents average. Jaamal Charles had a good day on the ground, running for 78 at 4.9 yards a carry. (9-1)

Raiders: Matt McGloin made quite the impression in his first NFL start. 3 touchdowns (2 of which came on turnovers) and no interceptions for the former Penn State QB. Rashad Jennings continues to make Oakland fans ask Darren McFadden who? with 150 yards and a rushing touchdown to help get his team their 4th win. The defense forced 3 turnovers, and held late with a goal-line stand in the final seconds to stop the Texans comeback attempt. The win ensures they finish with a better win total than a year ago. (4-6)

Chargers: Forever the inconsistent team are these Chargers. San Diego could only muster one touchdown, coming in the 1st quarter to fall for the 3rd straight game. They stayed in the game til the end thanks to 3 Nick Novak field goals. But their possible game winning drive ended with an incomplete pass in the end zone. Philip Rivers fell just short of 300 yards passing, with a touchdown and an interception. Ryan Matthews was able to get back over 100 yards rushing, but was unable to find the end zone. (4-6)

Another bad week for me, thanks to a lot of good teams losing. I went just 5-8 in week 10.

Thursday Night Football

Indianapolis @ Tennessee: Both teams are coming off bad losses. The Colts got absolutely man handled by the Rams at home, while the Titans gave the Jags their first win of the season. Tennessee will be without starting quarterback Jake Locker, something that isn’t new for this team, and have a very up and down run game. As for the Colts, Andrew Luck had maybe his worst game of his young career, and has shown bounce back ability. For that reason alone, give me the road team in this one. INDY WINS

1PM Sunday Games

New York Jets @ Buffalo: The Jets don’t seem to like winning or losing two games in a row, but I see their first win streak of the season coming. They’re rested off the bye against a Bills team that didn’t look good in EJ Manuel’s return. I just think New York is poised to take that next step. And to do that, they have to beat their bottom-dwelling division foes. NEW YORK WINS

Baltimore @ Chicago: The Ravens looked a little more like the championship squad they were last season last week. While the Bears will be without Jay Cutler and Lance Briggs coming off a two-point loss to Detroit. I know this is a home game for the Bears, but I think Ray Rice can finally have a good game against Chicago, whose defense hasn’t been spectacular after a strong 3-0 start. BALTIMORE WINS

Cleveland @ Cincinnati: It’s a key AFC North match-up as the Browns look to stay relevant in the wild card chase, and with the Bengals looking to keep their two game lead. Cincy needs Andy Dalton to play more like he did during their 4 game win streak, and less like the turnover prone guy he’s been their last two defeats. The Browns have been up and down, and yet are still tied for 2nd with the Ravens. I think the Bengals defense makes plays to get them back in the win column. CINCY WINS

Oakland @ Houston: The Raiders haven’t looked good the last couple of weeks. Terrelle Pryor is a mobile QB, but he hasn’t looked great throwing or running of late, and that’s not going to get it done. As for the Texans, they haven’t looked good since week 2. But Case Keenum has impressed me in his 3 starts, and I think he can get this ship back on track. I also like what I saw from JJ Watt a week ago. HOUSTON WINS

Arizona @ Jacksonville: The Jags finally got a win, and against a decent Titans squad. And the Cardinals are much improved from their 5 win season a year ago. Arizona’s defense is going to give Jacksonville fits, and I think it will result in turnovers. ARIZONA WINS

Washington @ Philadelphia: This is a big game for both teams. The Eagles are looking to make a statement and break a 1st place tie for first, while the struggling Reskins are just hoping to stay out of last place. Nick Foles has taken the starting job and ran with it, or rather thrown a lot of touchdowns. RGIII hasn’t looked anything like the guy that took his team on a 7-game win streak to end the season last year. I think this team finally breaks the streak and gets a home win. PHILLY WINS

Detroit @ Pittsburgh: The Lions are finally putting together the year everyone’s been waiting for. The offense is explosive now that they have a legit run game, and the defense is showing up too. As for the Steelers, they’re in real danger of missing the playoffs for a 2nd straight year. There are even rumors Ben Roethlisberger is looking for a trade. Detroit has a chance to make a statement in the North, and I think they do so on the road. DETROIT WINS

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay: So the Bucs aren’t winless any more, and the Falcons still only have 2 wins. Just how we all saw the South shaping up. I keep not wanting to pick the falcons, but they’re better than the Bucs… I guess. Tampa shutdown the Dolphins run game on Monday, but the Falcons don’t have a run game anyway. Give me the road team. ATLANTA WINS

4/4:25PM Sunday Games

San Diego @ Miami: The Dolphins are in turmoil, the Chargers are inconsistent. Both got off to good starts to the season, but have been bad of late. Both teams have had trouble to get the run game going at times, while both have very inconsistent QBs. Can I pick nobody? No, ok give me the drama free team. SAN DIEGO WINS

San Francisco @ New Orleans: One of my right match-ups here between two of the NFCs best. The niners were absolutely shut down by the Panthers a week ago, while the Saints put on an offensive clinic against Dallas. San Fran needs to keep pace with the division leading Seahawks, while the Saints have to hold off a hot Carolina squad. The 49ers defense is better than the boys, but this game is home for the Saints, and they are nearly unstoppable in the dome. And I think that’s the difference. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Green Bay @ New York Giants: The Pack are starting their 3rd different quarterback in their last 3 games, and two straight losses. Not what you want in an improved North division. As for the Giants, Eli Manning needs a good game, and he always finds a way to play the Pack tough. With the run game finally showing up big time last week, and the defense rounding into shape, I think the Giants make it 4 straight. NEW YORK WINS

Minnesota @ Seattle: The Seahawks put their recent struggles (if you can call winning ugly struggling) behind them with an easy win in week 10. That while the Vikings picked up their 1st win since week 3 on Thursday Night. Adrian Peterson has looked better the last two, but it’s not going to be enough against Seattle’s defense. Not to mention the hawks crazy good running back of their own. SEATTLE WINS

Sunday Night Football

Kansas City @ Denver: Talk about a must-see match-up. The top 2 teams in the West flexed out the Packers/Giants game and for good reason. A combined 17-1, this battle will be key for the number 1 seed in the AFC. And it’s only their 1st match-up. The Broncos offense is far superior to the Chiefs, while KC has the edge defensively. Peyton Manning is banged up (ankles) but will be under center. As good as the Chiefs have been defensively, the Broncos are far more balanced, and this being a home game, to me, this means a tie atop the division come early Monday morning. DENVERWINS

Monday Night Football

New England @ Carolina: I know Sunday Night is probably the biggest game, but this to me, is the most intriguing. The Patriots are starting to round into shape, while the Panthers are maybe the hottest team in the league. New England has been shutdown a couple times this season by defenses similar to Carolina’s but not as good as the Panthers have been. I think Cam Newton and company can run over this team with a little help from their shutdown D. If this were a home game for the Pats, I might pick differently. But it’s not. CAROLINA WINS

The match-ups to get you started and finish you off aren’t necessarily what you’d hope, but it’s still football. So enjoy.

10 down. 7 to go. No more win-less teams, and just the 1 undefeated team left as week 10 wrapped up.

A number of quarterbacks went down, while many crazy, circus catches were made. Long story short, this week was fun.

4 teams were off this week: the Patriots, the Jets, the Chiefs and the Browns.

NFC EAST (The Eagles Have Flown Into a Tie for First)

Cowboys: A week after winning despite not running the ball, Dallas went run early and often. DeMarco Murray had 80 yards rushing and a touchdown at the half. But they abandoned the run in the 2nd half, Murray finished with just 89 yards and Tony Romo couldn’t pick up the slack. Dallas’ QB completed less than 50% of his passes, and threw just 1 touchdown pass. Injuries continue to come on to key members on defense, this time to linebacker Sean Lee. All of those injuries are showing themselves, with this defense allowing the most yards in a 10 game span in franchise history. They continue to be up and down, and now it has cost them sole possession of 1st place. (5-5)

Eagles: Nick Foles was never going to put up 7 touchdown passes for a second straight week, but Philly’s QB did enough to get a second straight win. Foles threw for 228 yards and 3 scores. And how about this stat: just the 3rd QB to throw at least 16TDs before their first interception of the season. The other two: Milt Plum in 1960, and Peyton Manning earlier this season. LeSean McCoy had a monster day on the ground, rushing for 155 yards, while Riley Cooper added two 3rd quarter touchdowns to help Philadelphia pull away. (5-5)

Giants: Make it 3 straight in the win column for New York.The special teams put them down with an opening kickoff fumble which was then turned into 7. Then they got it back with a blocked punt for a score, New York’s first since 1988. Then normal scoring took place. Andre Brown returned from a fractured leg suffered in pre-season, and looked like his old self. Speaking of a guy who’s done big things coming off a big injury, Terrell Thomas was named NFC Defensive Player of the week after week 8, and he made his presence felt in the 3rd quarter this week. A 47-yard interception return helped the Giants find the end zone on a Brown run and take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Going back to before the injury suffered late last year, it gives the back a rushing TD in 6 straight games. Eli Manning survived his 3rd pick six of the season. (3-6)

Redskins: It’s hard to lose a game when you don’t turn the ball over, but that’s what happened on the road to start week 10. Alfred Morris had a good day on the ground, while Robert Griffin III threw 3 touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough. They had a shot to tie at the end 4th quarter, but Santana Moss couldn’t get his second foot in bounds on a pass in the corner of the end zone on fourth down. Washington was 3-6 last season when they went on a 7-0 run to steal the Division and get into the playoffs. (3-6)

NFC NORTH (And Just Like That the Pack Aren’t Leading the Pack)

Lions: Make it a season sweep of their division rivals from Chicago, thanks in large part to a stop on a two-point conversion with 40 seconds left in regulation.Calvin Johnson’s two touchdowns moved into first for the most TD receptions in Lions history. Matthew Stafford completed just over 50% of his passes, but still managed to throw for 3 scores. Reggie Bush had 89 of his 105 yards rushing in the 2nd half to help Detroit move into a tie for 1st. (6-3)

Bears: Jay Cutler wasn’t very sharp in his return from a groin injury, throwing for just 1 touchdown and 1 interception. To make matters worse, he left the game with an ankle injury. Brandon Marshall benefited from having Cutler back, grabbing that one score in a 139 yard day. Alshon Jeffery also had over 100 yards receiving on the day. But other than that, no one else really contributed on offense, with Matt Forte gaining just 33 yards on 17 carries. The defense didn’t do a good job stopping the run or getting to Stafford.(5-4)

Packers: They lost Aaron Rodgers last week, then lost backup Seneca Wallace in the 1st quarter this week around.This team had been able to find ways to score after losing many big targets in the passing game, but it’s hard to win when you get down to your 3rd string QB, especially as fast as this team did. Third year QB Scott Tolzien came in and threw two interceptions. The defense couldn’t help out, allowing the Eagles to run all over them. Mason Crosby continues to struggle kicking the ball, missing two of his four field-goal attempts. Eddie Lacy did a good decent on the ground, while Jarrett Boykin went over 100 yards receiving. (5-4)

Vikings: Christian Ponder went down late, but not before he helped lead his team to their first win since week 3 against Pittsburgh. After an early interception, Ponder settled down to throw 2 touchdowns, before leaving with a left shoulder injury late in the 3rd quarter. Adrian Peterson with a second straight big week, with 2 touchdowns on 75 yards rushing. Tight-end John Carlson with the big day in the receiving game, grabbing 7 balls for 98 yards and a score. The defense did enough to hold off the Skins in the end. (2-7)

NFC SOUTH (Things Are Getting Interesting)

Saints: After a bad road loss in week 9, a big bounce back moved them to 5-0 at home.Receiver Marques Colston and running back Darren Sproles both returned from injury and made their impact felt immediately, with a combined 3 touchdowns in the 1st half.Drew Brees was on point all night, and finished with nearly 400 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. Colston, Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram (career high 145 yards rushing) each finished with over 100 total yards. Rookie Kenny Stills, Ingram and Thomas each found the end-zone as well. New Orleans finished with 600-plus total yards on offense, and their 40 first downs set an NFL record. (7-2)

Panthers: This team is for real. Make it 5 straight wins after absolutely dominating last years NFC Superbowl representatives, the San Francisco 49ers. The league’s only defense ranked top 10 in the rush and pass, as well as points allowed, showed they’re not there by accident. DeAngelo Williams scored the games only touchdown, while Graham Gano’s 53-yard field goal in the 4th proved to be the game-winner. Cam Newton didn’t do much against a good niners defense. Luke Kuechly continue to have a good year defensively, with a game high 11-tackles and one of the teams 5 sacks.(6-3)

Falcons: They’re just not the same team this season. Matt Ryan finally figured out how to avoid the turnovers, something to take away from a turnover happy Seattle defense. But he couldn’t even reach the 180 yards passing mark to go with no run game. Not to mention the defense had no answers for the Seahawks. It’s their 3rd straight loss, putting them two losses away from their first losing season since 2007 or pre-Ryan.(2-7)

Buccaneers: Watching the Jaguars get their first win must have inspired Tampa Bay. They saw their 15-7 halftime lead evaporate heading into the 4th quarter, but their defense pitched a final quarter shutout to give the offense a chance. Mike Glennon led the team on a long drive to start the 4th, and it ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tackle Donald Penn. The run defense was on point to say the least… holding the Dolphins to just 2 yards on the ground, a staggering number. The defense added a safety 2 key sacks and a pick to their impressive night. (1-8)

NFC WEST (The Hawks Are Flying High)

Seahawks: After two straight shaky wins, there was nothing shaky this week against Atlanta. Marshawn Lynch continues to live up to the nickname “beastmode” after a averaging 6 yards a carry, finishing with 145 and a rushing touchdown. Russell Wilson threw connected with Golden Tate on a one-handed grab in the corner of the end-zone as a part of his 2 touchdown day. It was a rematch of a 2012 playoff game, a match-up won by Atlanta. How quickly things change. (9-1)

49ers: Colin Kaepernick couldn’t get anything going against a stout Panthers defense. The mobile QB couldn’t crack 100 yards passing, and only gained 16 yards on the ground. His one interception iced the victory for Carolina. Phil Dawson was the only offense, kicking 3 field goals, including a season high 53-yarder. Frank Gore ran for 82 yards, while Mario Manningham caught 3 passes for 30 yards in his season debut. (6-3)

Cardinals: They almost gave it away, but held on to move match their win total from a year ago. The Cards took a quick 7-nothing lead when on the game’s first play John Abraham caused a fumble and Matt Shaugnessy returned it 6 yards for the score. Carson Palmer threw 2 touchdowns, but also threw a pick and lost a fumble. It was Rashard Mendenhall’s fumble deep in their own territory that allowed the Texans to stay in the game, but in the end the defense held. (5-4)

Rams: Snapping a 3 game losing streak was due to a big defensive performance, and this time they got a lot of help on offense as well. Tavon Austin had just two catches, but he made them both count; 138 yards and two scores. Add a 98-yard punt return for a touchdown, and the rookie helped blow out the previously 6-2 Indianapolis Colts. 3 interceptions of Andrew Luck, to go with a strip sack, helped St Louis make easy work and pick up their first win since losing Sam Bradford. (4-6)

AFC EAST (The Two Best Teams Didn’t Play)

Patriots: Bye Week. (7-2)

Jets: Bye Week. (5-4)

Dolphins: They got off to a slow start, but were able to rally back to score 19 unanswered points to hold a lead heading into the 4th over a win-less bucs team. But it wasn’t enough as they couldn’t get anything done in the 4th, losing by 3. Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes and Caleb Strugis hit on two field-goal attempts in the comeback effort. Their biggest problem came on the ground, with the team managing just 2 measly yards on the ground all night. In their first game since the bully scandal really blew up, they sure did miss their offensive linemen. The loss drops them further back from the top two teams, with a match-up with the Jets upcoming. (4-5)

Bills: EJ Manuel’s return wasn’t a good one. After coming back from an MCL injury, the rookie only managed 155 passing yards, a score and a turnover. He couldn’t help himself out on the ground, and the rest of the backs didn’t do much against a Steelers defense that needed to bounce back after a horrible week 9 performance. Rookie tight-end Chris Gragg scored the Bills lone touchdown in the 4th quarter. Make it 3 straight losses for the East’s bottom-dwellers. (3-7)

AFC NORTH (Cincy Falters, Still Holds a 2 Game Lead)

Bengals: Andy Dalton connected on a crazy tipped hail mary touchdown as time expired to AJ Green to send the game to overtime. Green finished with a 151 yards receiving thanks to that 51-yard TD catch. But a questionable play call on 4th and 2 in their territory gave Baltimore good field position, and they ultimately lost on a field-goal. Dalton threw 2 touchdowns, but also threw 3 interceptions in their 2nd straight loss.(6-4)

Browns: Bye Week. (4-5)

Ravens:Justin Tucker’s 46-yard field-goal in overtime saved Baltimore from a crushing loss at home, and snapped their 3 game skid. They blew a 17-0 halftime lead when they didn’t bat down the Bengals hail mary attempt. The run game continues to be non-existent, while Joe Flacco continues to under perform. Sure he threw two touchdown passes, to Torrey Smith and Dallas Clark, but he also threw two interceptions, and fumbled in the fourth. They found a way to win, a division game at that, and that’s all that matters for the Superbowl Champs.(4-5)

Steelers: After a franchise low on defense a week ago, the Steelers stepped up and made easy work the Bills. They held Buffalo to just 95 yards on the ground, nearly 50 below their average while giving up just 10 points, after 55 a week ago. Add 3 sacks and a pick to their defensive effort. Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t great, passing for just 204, a touchdown and an interception, while Le’Veon Bell added 52 and a score on the ground. But they did enough for the home win. Shaun Suisham added 3 field-goals. According to ESPN stats, Pittsburgh is now 17-2, including the playoffs, against rookie quarterbacks since 2004.(3-6)

AFC South (The Jags Won and the Colts Didn’t- Fact)

Colts: Talk about a letdown. Andrew Luck threw 3 interceptions, and lost a fumble, and still managed to throw for over 350 yards. And when your not mobile quarter back leads the team in rushing, you know you’re in trouble. This team doesn’t lose often, let alone this badly and at home, but an improved Rams defense and bad special teams play burned them. Their lone score came in the 3rd quarter, a Donald Brown score, capped off with a 2-point conversion to Coby Fleener. Their 30-point loss was the largest margin of any game this week. Lucky for them the Titans lost, so they still hold a 2 game lead in the division.(6-3)

Titans: Jake Locker just can’t stay healthy, leaving with what is probably a season ending lisfranc injury. Ryan Fitzpatrick did a good job in relief, running in for a score and throwing 2 more. But the damage was done early, and Tennessee couldn’t recover against a previously win-less Jaguar team. They had a chance late, but with no help on the ground this week, the win-less Jags took advantage. Four turnovers didn’t help in what ended up a 2-point game.(4-5)

Texans: For the first time in franchise history, Houston is on a 7-game losing streak. A third good start for youngster Case Keenum, but again, it results in a loss. Keenum threw 3 touchdowns, including 2 to Andre Johnson. But he did turn the ball over on the games first play, putting them in the hole from the get go. JJ Watt did all he could to keep his team in the game, forcing two fumbles, including one late in the 4th that helped score and get to within a field-goal of tying the score. Gary Kubiak wasn’t with the team after collapsing at halftime in Indianapolis, but he could be back sooner rather than later after suffering a “mini-stroke.” (2-7)

Jaguars: A 13-game losing streak dating back to last season finally comes to an end, and on the road no less. Maurice Jones-Drew and Jordan Todman each ran in scores, but only combined for 52 yards on the ground. Chad Henne wasn’t good, throwing two picks to no touchdowns. A fourth quarter safety turned out to be the difference in the game.The reason they won, their defense turned the Titans over 4 times.(1-8)

AFC WEST (It Was Always Going to be a 2 Team Race)

Chiefs: Bye Week. (9-0)

Broncos: Peyton Manning threw for 4 touchdowns, 3 to Demaryius Thomas to move within a game of the division lead. Manning took a shot late to his ankles and came up hobbling, and underwent an MRI early Monday. The team was without head coach John Fox, who had heart surgery last week. But it didn’t slow them down. Knowshon Moreno had a big day, with over 100 yards of total offense. Julius Thomas nearly cracked the 100 yard mark, and scored Manning’s fourth TD pass. (8-1)

Chargers: Phil Rivers wasn’t great, throwing for just 218 and a score. It’s a second straight loss by just 1 score, dropping them under .500. Ryan Matthews was better than a week ago on the ground, finding the end zone once, but again didn’t crack the 100 yard mark after two straight games doing so. This team continues to be very streaky, something they can’t afford with arguably the two best teams in the AFC both in their division. (4-5)

Raiders: They scored 17 points off turnovers.You can call Tracy Porter a Manning magnet. The 6th year corner-back is the only player with a pick 6 against both Peyton and Eli Manning. But it was their own turnover late in the 3rd, a Terrelle Pryor interception, that put them down for good. Pryor was pressured all game long, and despite getting passes off early, eventually it got to be too much. Rashard Jennings did all he could do on the ground in place of the injured Darren McFadden, but it wasn’t enough. According to CBS, this was their 9th straight loss to NFC opponents. (3-6)